This invention relates to a seal for a beverage dispensing tap and, more particularly, to a seal for a so-called Sankey-type beer tap. Such a tap includes a probe formed with one passage for admitting pressurized gas into a container and another passage for enabling beer to flow out of the container.
As the tap is attached to the container, the lower end of the probe engages and opens a valve in the container to permit beer in the container to flow into the beer passage of the probe. Shortly thereafter, a disc-like gasket spaced above the lower end of the probe engages and opens a second valve to enable pressurized air to flow into the container from the air passage of the probe. Engagement of the gasket with the second valve seals the beer passage from the air passage. Just prior to opening of the valves, a tubular sealing member on the probe engages the container to prevent beer from spewing past the probe until such time as the gasket is fully seated and sealed against the second valve. The tubular sealing member also prevents pressurized air from escaping from the container during use of the tap.
U.S. Pat. 4,717,048. In that tap, the tubular sealing member is a bellows-type seal and is formed separately of the gasket. As a result, two sealing components must be separately manufactured and stocked and must be separately assembled with the probe. Moreover, the bellows-type sealing member of the Stenger patent has virtually line contact with the container fitting around the outside surface of the sealing member and lacks firm radial support.